Baleen whales
Pacific Gray Whale Population Drops by Nearly 25%
Being taken off the endangered species list sadly doesn’t guarantee a carefree future for whales. Recent research estimates that the population of Pacific gray whales off North America’s West Coast has declined by almost a quarter since 2016. These whales are known for the epic migrations between their Arctic feeding grounds and the breeding lagoons…
Read MoreRice’s whale
See all species Formerly known as the “Gulf of Mexico sub-population” of Bryde’s whales, Rice’s whale was identified as a separate species in 2021. From the skull of an individual that stranded in 2019, scientists identified characteristics that distinguish them as a new species. It is named after the late biologist Dale Rice, the first…
Read MoreOmura’s whale
See all species Omura’s whale is a relatively small, super-streamlined, baleen whale. They have striking and unique asymmetrical black and white markings on the head and jaw; the lower jaw is white on the right side and black on the left. Omura’s whale is the most recently identified whale species; they were first recognised from…
Read MorePygmy right whale
See all species Pygmy right whales are the smallest of all filter-feeding whales. But weighing up to 4,500kg, they are no featherweights! Contrary to their somewhat misleading name, pygmy right whales aren’t actually ‘right whales’ and are placed in a separate family altogether. Male Female Calf Maximum length 6.1m 6.4m 2.2m Maximum weight 4,000kg 4,500kg…
Read MoreSei whale
See all species Derived from the Norwegian word for Pollack, there are two subspecies of the little-known sei whale: the northern and the southern. The nicknames ‘pollack whale’, ‘coalfish whale’ and ‘sardine whale’ come from the fact that the appearance of sei whales often signalled the presence of large numbers of these fish. Other names:…
Read MoreNorth Pacific right whale
See all species Hunted to the brink of extinction, the critically endangered North Pacific right whales were so-named because hunters singled them out as lucrative game. Literally, they were considered the “right” whales to kill. Relentlessly persecuted in the early 1900s, North Pacific right whales were nearly wiped off the face of the earth. Targeted…
Read MoreSouthern right whale
See all species Right whales were one of the first species to be hunted by whalers. Tragically, they became the target of huge scale whaling and were hunted to the brink of extinction. Hunting of sourthern rights was banned in 1935 but illegal Russian whaling continued until the 1970s. Whalers considered right whales to be…
Read MoreNorth Atlantic right whale
See all species North Atlantic right whales are enormous, slow swimming, baleen whales. Despite their heftiness, they are accomplished acrobats and are known to breach (leap above the water) and slap their flippers and tails against the water. Other names: Tube whale; Biscayan right whale; Biscay whale; Black right whale Male Female Calf Maximum length…
Read MoreBowhead whale
See all species Remarkable bowhead whales are the longest-living mammals on earth, reaching over 200 years of age. The only baleen whales to spend their entire lives in Arctic seas, bowhead whales are masters of their icy kingdoms. Kept warm by thick blubber layers over half a meter thick, they have conquered some of the…
Read MoreGray whale
See all species Gray whales are amazing long-distance travellers, undertaking migrations of thousands of kilometres each year. Gray whales were the attraction on the world’s first ever whale watching trips in the 1950s and today still attract thousands of visitors as they migrate up the west coast of North America each spring. Male Female Calf…
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